We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-25 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a complete, plug-and-play USB headset for calls, classes, and shared computers, choose Cyber Acoustics AC-840; if you already own Bose QC35 or QC35 II headphones and need to turn them into a gaming or calling headset, choose Tobysome QC35.
• Cyber Acoustics AC-840 — biggest strength: a full mono headset out of the box, with an inline volume and mute control, a unidirectional noise-canceling mic, and simple USB plug-and-play for Windows, Mac, and Chromebooks.
• Cyber Acoustics AC-840 — biggest trade-off: it's a wired, mono, single-ear design with passive noise cancellation only, so it's built for speech and voice work, not immersive stereo listening.
• Tobysome QC35 — biggest strength: it converts headphones you already own into a headset, adding a flexible, detachable boom mic with an inline mute switch over a USB-C to 2.5mm connection.
• Tobysome QC35 — biggest trade-off: it's a cable, not a headset. Without a pair of Bose QC35 or QC35 II headphones, it does nothing for you, and it only carries audio — the noise canceling comes from your headphones.
• Who each pick is for: the AC-840 suits call centers, classrooms, and offices that need a ready-to-go USB headset per desk; the Tobysome QC35 suits QC35 owners who want gaming, VoIP, or podcast-grade voice pickup without buying a second headset.
The AC-840 is a single-ear (mono) over-ear headset with a USB connection and true plug-and-play behavior. You connect it to a standard USB port and it works — no adapters, no drivers to chase down. That matters in environments where a lot of people touch the same hardware: school computer labs, training rooms, front desks, and call floors.
The design details point clearly at all-day speech work. There's an adjustable headband and a soft leatherette ear cushion that's easy to wipe clean — a practical choice when a headset gets handed from one user to the next. The boom arm is ambidextrous, so it can sit on either side, and the mic is unidirectional with noise-canceling intent, which is exactly what you want when the goal is capturing your voice and rejecting the room around you. The inline controller puts volume and mute right on the cable, so you're not hunting through software settings mid-call. Audio is handled by a dynamic driver with a 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz frequency range and 32-ohm impedance, and noise control is passive.
Buy it if you need a dependable, easy-to-clean, single-ear USB headset for talking — teaching, support calls, remote meetings, or a shared workstation.
Skip it if you want stereo sound, wireless freedom, or active noise cancellation. This isn't that product.
Tobysome QC35: Who It's For
The Tobysome QC35 is a different kind of product entirely, and it's important to be clear about that: it's a replacement boom microphone cable, not a headset. It's a USB-C male to 2.5mm male cable, 3.9 ft (1.2 m) long, in black, with oxygen-free copper inner wire and a TPE protective cover. One end plugs into the 2.5mm jack on Bose QuietComfort 35 or QuietComfort 35 II headphones. The other end is USB-C, which fits iPhone 17/Air/16/15, iPad, Samsung and Android smartphones, laptops, and other USB-C devices.
The point of it is the boom mic. It's flexible — a 120° adjustable gooseneck — so you can put the mic where your voice actually is instead of hoping a built-in mic catches you. It's also detachable, which is genuinely useful: unclip it and you're back to plain listening with no mic dangling in front of your face. There's an inline mute switch you slide up and down, so you can kill the mic without touching your game or your call app. The mic itself is a unidirectional cardioid design with noise-canceling intent and high sensitivity, aimed at keeping your voice clear and pushing background noise down.
The 2.5mm plug is gold-plated, which helps with a secure, stable connection — the kind of thing you notice when a cable would otherwise wiggle loose mid-match. The claim here is lossless audio quality and stable transmission.
The trade-offs are real and specific. First, this only makes sense if you own QC35 or QC35 II headphones. The 2.5mm end is built for those jacks. Second, it's a cable, so everything you love — or don't love — about your headphones' sound and noise canceling stays exactly the same. Third, it's wired, so you're tethered to your device.
Skip it if you don't own those headphones, or if you want a complete standalone headset.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for a complete, ready-to-use headset → Cyber Acoustics AC-840. Everything you need is in the box: headset, mic, cable, inline controls.
• Best for QC35 owners who want a boom mic → Tobysome QC35. It upgrades headphones you already own instead of adding another headset to your bag.
• Best for shared or multi-user environments → Cyber Acoustics AC-840. The wipe-clean leatherette cushion and ambidextrous boom suit desks that get passed around.
• Best for gaming and voice chat → Tobysome QC35. The 120° flexible boom, detachable design, and inline mute switch are built around live voice.
• Best for USB-C phones and tablets → Tobysome QC35. It plugs into iPhone 17/16/15, iPad, Samsung, Android, and USB-C laptops.
• Best for simple computer connectivity → Cyber Acoustics AC-840. Standard USB plug-and-play on Windows, Mac, and Chromebooks, no headphone pairing required.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → Cyber Acoustics AC-840. Mono, single-ear listening keeps one ear on the room.
• Best for immersive listening → Tobysome QC35. It hands audio to your full-size Bose headphones, so stereo sound and their active noise canceling stay in play.
In my opinion, these two barely compete — they solve different problems, and the right answer depends on what's already on your desk.
If you don't own QC35 headphones, I'd buy the Cyber Acoustics AC-840. It's a finished product: plug it into USB and you're talking. For call centers, classrooms, and offices, that simplicity is the whole value.
If you do own Bose QC35 or QC35 II headphones, I'd buy the Tobysome QC35. You already have the sound and the noise canceling. This cable adds the one thing those headphones lack for live voice — a proper boom mic — and makes them do double duty.
FAQ
No. It's a boom microphone cable. It only works as a headset when connected to Bose QuietComfort 35 or QC35 II headphones via the 2.5mm jack, with the USB-C end going into your phone, tablet, or laptop.
Yes. It's designed as USB plug-and-play for Windows PC, Mac, and Chromebooks, so it connects to any standard USB port without extra setup.
Not reliably. The 2.5mm connector is specifically sized for QC35 and QC35 II jacks. Other headphones generally use different connectors, so it isn't a universal cable.
That depends on what you already own. If you have QC35 headphones, the Tobysome cable is the cheaper way to add a mic. If you don't, the AC-840 is the more sensible buy because it's a complete headset. Either way, check the current price on Amazon before you decide.
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